The Boy and his Ghost
by Mask of Brutality
Summary: What if Harry had been raised by the Mansons instead of the Dursleys? Future pairing is Danny/ Harry, that means M/M. You've been warned, so no complaining.
1. Chapter 1

Petunia Dursley of Privet Lane in Surrey, England, was a perfect woman in a perfectly normal family. She had a loving husband who worked hard in his perfectly normal office job as well and her precious Duddykins who was a handsome, perfectly normal baby boy. Everything in her life was perfectly normal; and she loved keeping it that way thought Petunia as she opened the door one early morning to collect the milk bottles and then screamed as her eyes landed on the sleeping baby placed on her door stoop.

Reeling in her shock, Petunia snatched the child and, after checking to make sure Number 3 wasn't already up and peering through her window, Petunia quickly entered her house and slammed the door shut.

Nearly throwing the baby, now startled awake from the sound of Petunia's scream, onto the couch, Petunia hurriedly rushed up the stairs to the master bedroom where her husband was still fast asleep.

"Vernon! Vernon, wake up!" said Petunia in a soft, but shrill voice.

Vernon woke with a heavy grunt, and still groggy, was about to ask what the matter was, when they were interrupted by the piercing cry of a baby. Petunia's eyes widened as she turned to her husband.

"There was a baby on our doorstep Vernon. A baby. In November. What would the neighbors think?"

Vernon climbed out of his bed and put on his slippers, moving as quickly as his large body would allow him.

"Don't worry Pet, I'll get to the bottom of this!" as his moustache quivered angrily.

Making their way downstairs, the elder Dursleys paused at the sight of the crying baby on Petunia's pristine couch. The baby looked to be about a year old, with a familiar mop of black hair and very familiar green eyes that tearily looked back at them.

Petunia gasped in alarm. "It's the child of my freak sister and her husband." she said as she instinctively picked up the crying baby and began soothing it. In picking up what was apparently her nephew, a letter (that she was quite sure wasn't there before) dropped to the couch. Petunia gingerly picked up the letter and passed it to her husband as she hurried into the kitchen, baby in hand. She began to make two bottles knowing that her son would be waking up for his morning bottle and figured it would just be convenient to feed the other child. Vernon lumbered behind her as he opened the letter and began to read it out loud.

 _Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,_

 _As you may have noticed, your nephew Harry Potter has been placed upon your doorstep. As I hope Lily has kept you informed, there had been a terrible war in our world, whose effects had spread to both worlds despite many efforts to prevent this. I am very sorry to say this, but Lily and her husband James Potter have been murdered October 31 by the leader of the enemy forces who has been vanquished by your very nephew. However, Harry has now been left orphaned, and with no knowledge of any immediate family, we have decided to place him with you, knowing that you will gladly take him with loving arms. The funeral for Lily and James Potter will be held at Godric's Hollow, England, November 16 if you wish to attend._

 _My sincerest condolences,_

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin First Class, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot._

There was a moment of silence before-

"How dare those- those- those freaks...think that they can tell us normal people what to do!" spluttered an indignant Vernon as his face began turning bright red, his piggy eyes glaring murderously at the parchment paper clutched tightly in his beefy hands.

"Vernon, calm down honey, we'll get this figured out, we'll go to the funeral and have them explain everything and take the boy back." Petunia said quietly as she placed a calming hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Go to the bloody funeral!? Pet, have you gone mad? Consorting with freaks, -"

"Despite being a freak, she's still my little sister." Petunia declared sharply, eyes daring her husband to continue.

Shocked into silence, Vernon cautiously wrapped his arm around his wife and the baby now quietly dozing with a bottle in his mouth; tightening his grip when she began to quietly sob into his shoulders.

They stood there in the kitchen until they heard the grumblings of Dudley as he began to loudly cry for his mother. Petunia, who had been quietly nesting on Vernon's shoulder, seemed to snap out of her funk as she gently placed her sleeping nephew on the living room couch, and with the other bottle, she disappeared upstairs to feed Dudley. Vernon was left staring at his sleeping nephew awkwardly until his wife returned downstairs with a sniffling Dudley hefted in her arms as he sucked almost angrily at his bottle.

Quietly, as if scared of his wife's fury, Vernon asked what she wanted to do.

Stubbornly staring at Dudley and avoiding the stares of her husband or the sight of her nephew on her clean couch. "I will inform our close relatives of her death and the funeral. If they decide to show up, then that will be that. We will figure out what to do with the boy afterwards, for now we'll just put him with Dudley." she curtly responded as she began burping the hefty baby in her arms, cooing when he let out a huge belch before falling asleep in her arms.

Vernon looked at his little family fondly before looking at the child on the sofa. His- nephew, despite his disgust- was comfortably curled up on the couch, innocent and blissfully unaware that he was an orphan dumped on a cold stoop of people who didn't really want him. Vernon felt a twinge of pity for the child before he ruthlessly stomped it out. They were living comfortably as they were right now and taking care of one baby was expensive enough; trying to juggle taking care of two, a freakish baby at that, could easily overwhelm them or cause them to spend more money on the freak instead of their own child. No, it'd be better if they could return the freak, or at least send it to some remote orphanage. He knew Petunia was just in grief, she wouldn't want to keep the boy, especially if it took attention away from their Dudley.


	2. Chapter 2

Samantha Manson, or Sammy to Grandma Ida, the only person who seemed to care about her thoughts, was wandering the cemetery with undisguised fascination, much to her parent's displeasure.

"Sammykins! Get up from the ground, you'll get your pretty new dress dirty!" demanded Pamela Manson as she watched her four year old daughter adorably frown as she straightened up from where she had been crouched over a bug and plodded sullenly towards her parents. Sam didn't even know why they flew across the ocean to this gloomy place that her parents called England. The weather was gloomy and rainy like Sam enjoyed (who wants that bright sunny weather like her parents?), but people talked funny and preferred that she 'act like a proper lady'. And now they were at a cemetery because some people she's never met went to heaven. If it wasn't for the location being as it was, Sam would've thought she was at one of the boring adult dinners her parents had that she hated sitting through. But she was so bored now because her mother wouldn't let her explore!

Her mother grasped her hand and, other arm firmly linked with her father, the little family unit walked into the funeral reception within Godric's Hollow, a very well known village where mundanes and wizards cohabited peacefully.

Yes, the Manson family knew about wizardry, for they were descended from a long line of American squibs or hedge wizards as they sometimes were called. The Manson family was known for managing 45% of the potion manufacturing in North America, as well as having produced some of the more notable Potion Masters in the world. Like for instance, Ida Manson, who was well known for her modifications to many medical potions that made them more accessible to the public and the mundanes, merely relabelled as penicillin for mundane use in WWII. Little Sam wanted to be like her grandmother when she grew up, but with the way her parents were running the business more on the mundane side with the cellophane wrapping business, trying to make her a pretty princess that couldn't play around and get dirty.

~BHG~

The Mansons' family finally joined the rest of the funeral procession, a mix of wizards that went to school with the Potters, neighbors and residents of Godric's Hollow, and any remaining family members on either side. James' parents had died last year from the war; Lily's parents had been one of the people targeted earlier in the war when Lily had become more of a threat to the enemy side, another action that caused Petunia to further distance herself from her freak of a sister.

Petunia, who was sitting in the frown row of seats with her largely obese husband and...two babies? Pamela was always ready to dig into the latest gossip, and even if her cousin was a hideously dressed irritant at the best of times, this piqued her curiosity enough to drag her husband and husband up to the front, her mother-in-law trailing behind as she gave condolences to the people around.

"Tuney! Oh, isn't is awful news? I flew my family in the moment I heard, are you doing okay?" Pamela honestly did feel bad about Lily's passing. Even though she was never terribly close to her younger cousin, having left for the States with her rich husband the moment she finished business school, she had always adored the younger woman's fire and intelligence, and she was truly sad to see that fire leave the world so early.

"Yes, I'm doing quite fine, thank you for asking Pammy." said Petunia smartly as she carefully adjusted her black mourning dress, only the tightness in her jaw and eyes giving away her true emotions. Her husband just sat there, glaring at everyone as he bounced the biggest baby Pamela had seen (that must be unhealthy) on his knee, its sulky face staring up at Petunia, clearly wanting Petunia to pick him up but too tired to do more fussing than the occasional whine. "However, since my...sister and her husband have died, we're unfortunately left with what remains of their little family, literally dumped upon our doorstep a few days ago along with the news of their death."

Petunia shrugged as she carelessly waved her hand where a portable carrycot rested by her husband, partially hidden by the sheer mass of the giant man. Pamela dragged her daughter closer to get a better look, her daughter joining in her mother's curiosity. Blue and purple eyes met green as little baby Harry gazed sleepily up at them, a chubby fist rubbing softly against his eye, soft mumbles tumbling out of tiny pouty lips. Pamela noticed that upon the baby's forehead was a curse scar in the shape of a lightning bolt that still looked fresh, angry red despite the event having taken place a few days ago already.

As Sam watched the baby in fascination and began gently playing with little Harry, Pamela rejoined her cousin and her husband, who were now making awkward small talk with Pamela's husband and mother-in-law.

"...doing very important work at Grunnings, yes, as general manager you see-" Vernon was saying self importantly.

"Why excuse me," Pamela spoke coyly, "but I must ask. What will become of poor,...Harry, is it? Do you need any help adjusting in having another child in the household? We will be staying in the area for two weeks to let our Sammykins enjoy being in the place where her parents met, so don't hesitate to call me, okay Tuney?"

"I'm afraid that Vernon and I wouldn't be able to financially support another child, nor have the emotional patience to handle a child with...my sister's particular...talents, that I'm sure she's passed down to her son. We've planned on dropping him off at a decent orphanage far from where we live; they at least, are used to being saddled with extra children that they didn't ask for."

"And cast him out from the family?!" Pamela stated, aghast.

"It's for the best, for he won't find family in my house." sniffed Petunia as she turned pointedly away from Pamela, ending the conversation.

Pamela turned back to where her daughter was gently playing with Harry, lifting his pudgy arms and making his body gently wriggle on the spot. Petunia watched this scene for a few moments, before she moved decisively towards her cousin.

"Tuney, darling,-"

"What?! You will not convince me to keep him, my mind has been made!" Petunia said sharply as she whirled around to face the persistent Pamela.

"Not at all darling, in fact, with how well Sammykins is getting along with little Harry, I've realized that it's due time for her to have a sibling. And this works out perfectly. He can stay with family, he's out of your hands permanently, and we get a son without having to deal with the pregnancy process, why it's just perfect, don't you agree?"

Petunia spluttered in shock, eyes wide as she watched her cousin stride over to where both their husbands were conversing, whisper into her husband's ear, and then come back with a bright smile on her face.

"Well, Jeremy is willing to adopt Harry , so just meet with us after the reception ends and we'll start gathering adoption papers. He'll stay with us from now on, so don't you worry about anything anymore, okay Tuney? Thanks!" As Pamela turned towards the front, a bony hand clasped upon her wrist stopped her. Angling her body slightly towards her cousin, Pamela was surprised to see Petunia red eyed and on the brink of tears.

"Just-just take care of him okay? It may not seem like it, but I do want Lily's song to have a good life; I just know it won't be a good one with us." Petunia whispered.

Stunned for a second, Pamela recovered quickly and engulfed her cousin in a tight hug.

"I will."

Releasing her cousin, she nodded briskly before turning around and headed towards the carrycot where her daughter and soon to be son were still keeping each other occupied. She smiled at her daughter as she primly sat down next to the carrycot and picked up Sam to rest on her lap.

"Do you like Harry, Sammykins?"

Sam nodded her head eagerly as she voiced how cute Harry was and all the things he had done when they played together.

"That's wonderful Sammykins! And I've got great news darling. Harry is going to be you new little brother now, that means he's coming home with us, and you'll get to play all the time."

"Yay!" Sam cheered from her mom's lap. She bent over the carrycot where sleepy green eyes gazed up at her. "Imma be the bestest big sister ever okay? Promise!"


End file.
